Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MU'RI-CITE, n.

Fossil remains of the Murex, a genus of shells.

MU'RINE, a. [L. murinus, from mus, muris, a mouse.]

Pertaining to a mouse or to mice.

MURK, n. [Sw. mörker; Dan. mörkhed; Russ. mrak.]

Darkness. [Little used.] Shak.

MURK'I-LY, adv.

Darkly; gloomily.

MURK'Y, a. [Dan. mörk; Sw. mörk, dark, obscure; morka, to darken; Russ. merknu, to obscure; allied perhaps to Moor, an African; Gr. αμαυρος.]

Dark; obscure; gloomy. A murky storm deep lowering o'er our heads. Addison.

MUR'MUR, n. [L. See the verb.]

1. A low sound continued or continually repeated, as that of a stream running in a stony channel, or that of flame. Black melancholy sits, / Deepens the murmur of the falling floods, / And breathes a browner horror on the woods. Pope.
2. A complaint half suppressed, or uttered in a low, muttering voice. Some discontents there are, some idle murmurs. Dryden.

MUR'MUR, v.i. [L. murmuro; Gr. μορμυρω; Fr. murmurer; Arm. murmuli; Sp. and Port. murmurar; It. mormorare. This seems to be a duplication of the root, which is retained in the D. morren, G. murren, Sw. murra, Dan. murrer, to mutter, growl or murmur; Sp. morro, purring, as a cat; Sw. morr, a grumbling; Ar. مَرْمَرَ marmara. Class Mr, No. 7. It seems also to be connected with mourn, Sax. murnan, murcnian, to murmur.]

1. To make a low continued noise, like the hum of bees, a stream of water, rolling waves, or like the wind in a forest; as, the murmuring surge. Shak. The forests murmur, and the surges roar. Pope.
2. To grumble; to complain; to utter complaints in a low, half articulated voice; to utter sullen discontent; with at before the thing which is the cause of discontent; as, murmur not at sickness; or with at or against, before the active agent which produces the evil. The Jews murmured at him. John vi. The people murmured against Moses. Exod. xiii.

MUR'MUR-ER, n.

One who murmurs; one who complains sullenly; a grumbler.

MUR'MUR-ING, ppr.

Uttering complaints in a low voice or sullen manner; grumbling; complaining.

MUR'MUR-ING-LY, adv.

With a low sound; with complaints.

MUR'MUR-OUS, a.

Exciting. murmur or complaint.

MURR, n.

A catarrh. [Not in use.] Gascoigne.

MUR'RAIN, n. [muerin; Sp. morrina, a disease among cattle, sadness; Port. morrinha; It. moria, morire; Port. morrêr, Sp. morir, L. morior, to die.]

An infectious and fatal disease among cattle. Exod. ix. Bacon. Garth.

MUR'RE, n.

A kind of bird. Carew.

MUR'REY, a. [from the root of Moor, an African.]

Of a dark red color. Bacon. Boyle.

MUR'RHINE, a. [L. murrhinus.]

An epithet given to a delicate kind of ware, made of fluorspar or fluorid of calcium, brought from the east; Pliny says from Carmania, now Kerman, in Persia. Encyc. Pinkerton.

MUR'RI-ON, n. [Port. morriam; It. morione; from the root of L. murus, a wall. See Mural.]

A helmet; a casque; armor for the head. Written also morion. King.

MUS'ARD, n. [Fr. See Muse.]

A dreamer; one who is apt to be absent in mind. [Obs.] Chaucer.

MUS'CA-DEL, or MUS'CA-DINE, a. [or MUS-CAT', or MUS'CAT-EL; It. moscatello; Port. and Sp. moscatel; Fr. muscat, muscadin, muscadet; from It. moscado, musk, or muscata, (noce moscada,) a nutmeg, Fr. muscade, from musc. Hence, in Italian, vin muscato, muscat, or muscadine wine.]

1. An appellation given to a kind of rich wine, and to the grapes which produce it. The word is also used as a noun.
2. A sweet pear.

MUSCH'EL-KALK, n.

A limestone of the new red sandstone formation. Mantell.

MUS'CLE, n. [Fr, from L. musculus, a muscle, and a little mouse; D. Sw. and Dan. muskel; G. muschel; Gr. μυς, a mouse, and a muscle.]

1. In anatomy, the muscles are the organs of motion, consisting of fibers or bundles of fibers inclosed in a thin cellular membrane. The muscles are susceptible of contraction and relaxation, and in a healthy state a part of the muscles are subject to the will, and are called voluntary muscles. But others, as the heart, the urinary bladder, the stomach, &c. which are of a muscular texture, and susceptible of contraction and dilatation, are not subject to the will, and are therefore called involuntary muscles. The red color of the muscles is owing to the blood-vessels which they contain. The ends of the muscles are fastened to the bones which they move, and when they act in opposition to each other, they are called antagonist. Encyc. Muscles are divided into the head, belly and tail. The head is the part fixed on the immovable joint called its origin, and is usually tendinous; the belly is the middle fleshy part, which consists of the true muscular fibers; the tail is the tendinous portion inserted into the part to be moved, called the insertion; but in the tendon, the fibers are more compact than in the belly of the muscle, and do not admit the red globules. Parr.
2. A bivalvular shell fish of the genus Mytilus; sometimes written mussel.

MUS'COID, a. [Gr. μοσχος and ειδος.]

In botany, moss-like; resembling moss.

MUS'COID, n.

A moss-like plant, flowerless, with a distinct stem having no vascular system, but often leaves. Lindley.

MUS-COS'I-TY, n.

Mossiness.

MUS-CO-VA'DO, n. [Sp. and Port. mascabado, compounded of mas, more, but, and acabado, ended, finished. Mascabado is an adjective, signifying, further advanced in the process than when in sirup, or imperfectly finished; from acabar, to finish; ad and cabo, head, like Fr. achever.]

Unrefined sugar; the raw material from which loaf and lump sugar are procured by refining. Muscovado is obtained from the juice of the sugar cane by evaporation and draining off the liquid part called melasses. Edwards. [This word is used either as a noun or an adjective; primarily an adjective.]